Life by the water's edge

A fresher ENW wind, sunshine for most of the day.

Heysham skear - low water 09:45 (MD)

Great Crested Grebe 6

Red-breasted Merganser 5 (one group)

Shag 1 x 2nd calendar year 

Eider 6 female with juvenile on sea plus 11 partially eclipsed males, originally resting on a sand bar...... 

Some of the male Eider, one appears to be ringed

........then they flew off north as the tide started making.

Wigeon 22

Teal 3

Pintail 3

But, interestingly, all initially in the same flock. They came from the south, but as they crossed the skear, the Wigeon and Teal wheeled around and flew back south and past the harbour, meanwhile the Pintail continued north into the bay.

This is the parting of their ways. The lead bird here is a Pintail, as is the sixth. 
The two small ones below are Teal

The above still is from this clip, you can just make out the three Pintail continuing north, just after the flock gains height the first time. The Wigeon and Teal looked like they were going to land, but they changed their mind and returned south after this clip.

South shore

It was this walk that today's title alludes. All the sightings of interest were on the water's edge, some resting, some bathing and some feeding (MD)

Rock Pipit 4 including the territorial bird in the slime pit. Howard took these excellent shots of it yesterday. It's got a brandling eathworm.....where has that come from!

Rock Pipit washing a Brandling earthworm before eating 

Linnet 28 between the above pond and the freshwater culvert. Janet took these shots of one having a bath in the freshwater stream.

Linnet

Just before No.2 outflow at the bottom of the sea wall was a tiny bird. Turned out it was a 

Reed Warbler - it must have been exhausted, the tide was rising slowly and it couldn't be bothered to move. This is how far the tide (the bubbles are perfectly natural spume) reached before it moved!

Reed Warbler having an unintentional bath!

This was the second time the tide reached it, it seemed a little more alert this time.

It was fortunate, as the tide was also moving kelp flies up the wall. It managed to catch a few, and then disappeared, when I wasn't watching it.

Reed Warbler by the sea

Mediterranean gull 1 adult flying around No.1 outflow.

Dunlin 25

Another mixed flock, mainly Dunlin with Redshank and Turnstone 

again these were taking advantage of the rising tide to feed on the invertebrates on the sloping wall near the wooden jetty.

Eider 5 out from harbour mouth

Mallard 1 male - dragged itself out for a rest on the wall, near the lighthouse 

Starlings 200+ feeding between lighthouse and waterfall - this shot is one of Howard's from yesterday 

Mainly immature Starlings

Grey Seal 1

There were Small White and Small Tortoiseshell coming in off the sea, just 6 and 5 respectively seen, but the tide was in and they were coming in all along the sea wall.

Nature Park

Long Tailed Tits 24 in one flock tree hopping south.

Migrant Hawker 2

Common Darter 1

Meadow Brown several 

Speckled Wood several 

Small White several

Small Tortoiseshell 2

Red Admiral 2 

Hummingbird Hawkmoth 1 - fortunately I saw it land, I don't know if it had just come in, but when it was disturbed by a Migrant Hawker, it lifted high and flew off north.

A nice fresh looking Hummingbird Hawkmoth 

50 plus House Martins over sea Whinnysty Lane - ref Kevin Singleton

Top raptor double

It forecast sun for today, and the sun "promised" to shine all day, but it never really happened. A steady NE fresh breeze.

Report from Pete:

Mediterranean gulls 4 juv, 1 ad seaward end hey one (3-4 Juv common gull as well). Later another adult and 2cy on Red Nab, but numbers way down

Hobby chased by peregrine headed high to south (Red nab) - Peregrine returned to power station roof.  

From Heysham Head:

9-10 Great Crested Grebe

1 x  2cy shag

(plus unidentified diving duck in poor silhouetted light which disappeared - not an Eider) 

At least 46 swallow heading north into wind along coast in combined 30 mins observation.

Janet checked Red Nab to Heysham Nature Reserve 

A general view of Red Nab on the rising tide

Territorial Rock Pipit patrolling its slimy realm (see yesterday's post)

Whitethroat on the Nature Park newt pond

Heysham Nature Reserve 

Common Darter 

Meadow Browns (female and male)

This dead tree was obviously an ideal sun trap for the Red Admirals

Middleton Nature Reserve 

Report from Jean

We caught 22 birds this morning:

Swallow 2

Grey Wagtail 1

Blackcap 3

Sedge Warbler 3

Reed Warbler 2

Whitethroat 1

Chiffchaff 3

Willow Warbler 1

Goldfinch 1

Robin 1

Wren 2

Blue Tit 1

Great Tit 1

Vis:

Grey Wagtail 6 (but only caught 1 🙁)

Marsh Harrier 1 juvenile south 06:50

Swallow 15

Goldfinch 41 (largest flock = 25)

Chaffinch 2

Greenfinch 1

Grey Heron 3 flew over which is unusual

On the reserve:

Cetti’s Warbler 1 callled a few times on the east side

I had a stroll around in the afternoon (MD)

Coot now up to three

The male Shoveler was still on the "no swimming" pond.

Gadwall 2 - 1 male plus 1 female/immature 

Female/immature Gadwall

Other wildfowl as recent

Dragonflies - not many today

Emperor 2

Migrant Hawker 1

Common Darter plentiful 

Butterflies, again not many

Speckled wood

Meadow Brown

Small White Red Admiral 4 close together

Comma 1

Comma

Red Admiral, much less conspicuous with its wings closed

Roe Deer 1 

We had a Mexican stand off though the trees

Roe Deer

Before it got bored and tootled off

Shoveler returns(?)

A light NE breeze. Some hazy sunshine but largely overcast

Pete advises that Clouded Yellows are being seen both south and north of the recording area. Both Janet and myself were out and about today, but didn't see any. Tomorrow's looking promising though.

Janet checked Red Nab to Heysham Nature reserve.

Red Nab:

Two of the Three Wheatear 

This Robin seems to have set up territory on the eastern edge of Red Nab

One of four Rock Pipit - more on this later

Linnet

Treble-bar moth

Nature Park:

Small White

Meadow Brown

Male Common Darter

Heysham Nature Reserve:

Female Migrant Hawker 

Immature Common Darter 

Common Blue, so worn you can almost see through its wings

Kestrel 

North shore (MD)

Mute Swan three out from the green marker post

Middleton Nature Reserve (MD)

Wildfowl as recent except:

Coot numbers doubled - now two

Shoveler 1 eclipse male on "no swimming" pond. Time will tell if it is passing through or back for the winter!

Male Shoveler in eclipse 

Butterflies:

Meadow Brown

Small White

Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell 

Common Blue (with see through wings like Janet's)

Dragonflies:

Emperor only 2

Brown Hawker 2

Migrant Hawker 7 (including 2 pairs in cop)

Migrant Hawker male

Common Darter - lots of males, but the only female seen was this old one

Old female Common Darter

Red Nab (MD)

I had a look on the rising tide, earlier than Janet. 

Mediterranean gull 1 adult - the only bird I could locate among the Black-Headed gulls was the green ringed German bird.

Mediterranean gull with green darvic ring amongst the BHG.
This bird was ringed as a nesting in 2012

The overnight tide was the highest of this set of spring tides, but the light off shore wind meant that it didn't top up the pool at the start of the sea wall. So, barring storms it will now not be topped up with sea water till 10th or 11th September. So almost two more weeks, goodness knows what life will emerge from it, especially if occasional rain prevents it from drying out completely.

Drying pool at the very beginning of the sea wall

The territorial Rock Pipit is certainly expecting, and almost certainly currently experiencing, a bounty. It is defending this pool vigorously, allowing the other three Rock Pipits freedom of the rest of Red Nab. Always worth a check if you are passing.

Not much, but juvenile Buzzard showing well

Mainly NE to ENE fresh breeze. Some hazy sun in the morning, but becoming increasingly overcast.

Heysham skear - low water 07:30 (MD)

I started at 08:15. The few minutes that I was on the promenade saw

Swallow 16 (9,5,2) north, none were seen while on the shore, but on my return to the promenade another 6 flew north - it felt like early summer again!

That was probably the highlight of the trip, the skear was quiet compared to last evening.

Heron 2

Little Egret 9

Great Crested Grebe 2

Eider 7

Waders: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone and Ringed Plover 2

Ringed Plover

South shore (MD)

It was early evening when I walked along the wall, even so there were still.

Wheatear 7 along foreshore 

Starlings 100+ feeding on saltmarsh brambles

Goldfinch 4 feeding on saltmarsh teasels 

Goldfinch 

Rock Pipit 2

Eider 2 out from harbour mouth

Mediterranean gulls 5 adult on the beach next to wooden jetty

Treble-bar moth near the sea wall

Imperial way (again it is quiet after 17:30)

I just had a quick check on my way home

Swallow 6

House Martin 6

Kestrel 1 male

Kestrel 

Buzzard 1 juvenile 

Juvenile Buzzard 

It wasn't winning any popularity contests, in this clip it has changed its perch and all the local passerines were shouting at it (you can hear the cars passing along the bypass too).

It had a fly around and the hirundines were not impressed

Juvenile Buzzard surrounded by House Martins and Swallows

Early Scaup

Very light variable breeze mainly NE. Sunshine in the morning then becoming hazy by lunch and for the rest of the day

First, a correction. The large egret on the south shore, that I identified as a Great White Egret, turned out to be an unusually large Little Egret. All records have been amended. My apologies if it caused any confusion, at least it shows the value of photography, they can prove, or in this case, disprove identity. It was around again today bullying the other little Egrets and does look to be half as big again as the others. Care required! (Malcolm)

Just my records so far today (MD)

South shore just after low water in the morning 

Rock Pipit 3

Wheatear 9 quickly moving through 5 along the foreshore and 4 near the lighthouse 

Wheatear having a short rest in the inner harbour

Mediterranean gull 5 resting on the rocks on the seaward side of the beach near the wooden jetty. One had a white and another a yellow ring, but much too distant to read, and they left when the tide reached them.

Peregrine Falcon 1 juvenile 

Imperial Way

Just a brief check at 17:00

Stock Dove 1 

Mistle Thrush 1

Swallow 80+

House Martin 6+

The hirundines were milling around the south of the road where the gates to the recycling centre are.

Just a few of the House Martin and Swallow

Heysham skear low water 19:30

Little Egret 4

Grey Heron 2

Grey Heron, ruffling its feathers on Conger rock

Eider 12 including one adult male, but mainly juvenile 

Great Crested grebe 9

Shag 1 - this is a bit different, it had been feeding, now it is drying its wings whilst still swimming 

Scaup 3 

Scaup

They were feeding and joined by an Eider

Then time for a wash and brush up